Ahead of the local body elections in Gujarat, the schedule for the Diploma to Degree Common Entrance Test (DDCET) has been revised. The exam, meant for students transitioning from diploma to degree programs in engineering and pharmacy, was originally set for April 26.
But with polling already planned on that date, the Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC) made the decision to postpone it. Officials aim to minimize disruption for students who would have faced conflicting obligations on election day.
The entrance test will now take place across two separate days: D2D engineering exams are slated for May 5, while those wishing to enter pharmacy courses will sit their tests on May 9. This staggered schedule is intended to ease pressure on students.
The online registration period ran from February 9 until March 30. For this academic year, there are a total of 36,212 seats up for grabs across various institutions—16 government colleges, three grant-in-aid institutions, and 120 self-financed colleges in Gujarat. So far, about 21,707 students have signed up for engineering admissions; additionally, just 339 candidates expressed interest in pharmacy programs.
Earlier plans had both exams taking place on April 26 in one phase. However, the clash with voting prompted a rethink. In fact, the scheduling of the pharmacy exam has been adjusted specifically because diploma pharmacy students finish their final exams only a day before; no student should have to juggle testing and finals simultaneously.
Looking ahead at other important dates: The answer key for engineering is expected on May 6. Following that, there’ll be an opportunity for grievance submission from May 6 through May 11; then the final answer key should be available by May 20.